Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

Out of curiosity, what are the typical counters to Infernal Prison/Claws of Cocytus/Leech? The first thing that comes to mind for me is Rain of Stones to kill the blood slaves, but you just know you're going to miss some. The next thing that comes to mind is staying further away than 30 squares, but that has obvious limitations.

-Max

Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

Laughing out loud http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

The most useful counter to them is using lots of cheaper units...or I guess lots of expensive units if you're real rich. Skelispam works well against leech spam (keep your mages out of range). Using high hp decoys (elephants, non-GOR'ed tartarians, abominations, tarasques, etc.) works well against life for a life and go to hell. Killing blood slaves works to

Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

Mind Hunt isn't powerful. Your just having flash-backs to LA Ryleh doing it's insane thing. Giving a nation a recruitable everywhere mage who is S3 and has a good chance of being S4 is overpowered. And then make them ocean and give them easy access to clams. Yeah, that'll do it. It just happens that one of the forms ridicilious clam income takes with nations that have ridicilious astral is excessive mind hunt. That's more a result of player laziness than actual effectiveness.

I had forge.
I had 200 clam astral income per turn.
I 'only' had S2 mages, so the number of 'all powerful' mind hunts I did on what should be the last turn of the game was four. Four.

That's because it takes a cap, and a coin, and at least a spell focus to get that S2 mage up so he can spit out a Hunt. So yeah, it's 'only' two astral pearls. If your LA R'yleh. And Tartanians are 'only' 10 D. And the Demi-Lich, Skull Staff, Skull Face, and the Ring/Robe.

Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

I think that MA Arco, Pythium, Bandar and MA R'lyeh can spam Mind Hunt quite well too. Huge astral income is definitely not required for it.
Yes, it is a good spell but hardly overpowered.

Re: Manifestation is overpowerd.
 

Leech is perhaps king of the 1X spells. Ghost grip and frozen heart are also excellent, but leech stands out because it's surrounded by mostly crappy or hard to use blood battle magic.

Speaking of tests
 

How do you guys test things easily / conveniently.

I usually (always) beat SP before it gets out of early game.... so I really don't know about manifestation etc.

Easy way to set research levels etc?

Re Argitoth
 

Rant On:

Frankly, I am rather disgusted with the attitude of most of the vets here.

When you go from attacking a players position, to attacking a player, I think *you're* out of line.

Its a game people.

And frankly, its posts like Args.. that challenge conventional wisdom that lets new things be discovered.

When players say things like .. 'thank god he's leaving' first I don't think it has any place in a thread; second moderators shouldn't tolerate that crap; third - how would you feel if that talk were about you.

And I'll close with the words of Donne or Locke or bacon or whoever. "Every man's death diminishes me, because I am involved with mankind, therefore, never seek to know for whom the bell tolls... it tolls for thee."

Dominions is not so big that it can afford small mindedness, nor so popular that it should drive away the unpopular.

Everyone of you, everyone of us.. has personality quirks just as onerous as Argitoths. And a little more tolerance really is the order of the day.

Rant Off.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Check out Debug mod from my linky http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Speaking of tests
 

chrispedersen, I do not particularly want to see Argitoth gone, but I do think he
is annoying. He is by no means one of the players with the greatest experience,
but he keeps posting about "overpowered" tactics... and the ones that he
advances as such are no more powerful than a dozen of others that he has simply
not encountered yet. Add to this the fact that he cannot be convinced that he
is wrong, and it is not surprising people get upset. Oh, and he keeps saying
that he is leaving. I'm sorry, but everyone who is too good for us and our game
is not making any friends.

On the other hand, his abrasive posts do create useful discussions. I have
learned a few things myself as a result of his proclamations. I would rather
have him around than not, but I cannot blame others for flaming him.

What I think Argitoth needs is to play a lot more, and learn that there are
hundreds of 'overpowered' tactics, and they all sort of balance each other.
Well, all but MoD which is really overpowered... Now excuse me while I go
whine and ***** somewhere where no one hears me.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

So you're saying everytime I encounter an overpowered tactic, I post a thread about it? Ok. Say what you want, but I've been around since Dominions 1. *Shrug* http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif However, can't I say the same for you in the opposite way? It is probably that you have not encountered the same overpowered tactics that is why you won't agree with anything I have to say.

chrispedersen: I like your post.

Lastly, the game where all my frustration was coming from is now officially over. One more game to go, PPP. I'll be dead from there soon.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

ChrisP: You are overgeneralizing. First that the response to Arg is solely from vets. Go back through this post and other thread's of his to see this for yourself.

Secondly, that the response to him is based on his ideas challenging convention. Nothing could be further from the truth - the response is due to Args attitude and presentation of his ideas, not the ideas themselves. If he would just settle down and present his ideas with some well laid out arguments backed by savefiles or something he would have been recieved well. Instead, he seems to persist in presenting an idea, getting up on a soapbox, and then ranting at anyone who tries to point out counter arguments or strats.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Oh no, not this. It's the "Well, you've always been this way and you should not be be respected" claim.

Please lock this thread! Better yet, if you want to ban me from the forum to appease the others, I don't mind it at all.

Edit: You think that I don't realize I am rude and have an attitude? I know this. I simply just didn't feel like being nice lately. Make of this statement what you will.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

And now you see the fruits of your labors, Arg.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

I do think one of the most positive aspects of this board, is the lack of posts directed negatively at another poster. Of course even families have arguments at times....

Most statements about a race, spell, or tactic are that one player's opinion. Though some statements are clearly intended to be factual. Like when i recently said lifeless units are not damaged by soul vortex. That was not opinion, but a statement of fact.

Contrast that with my observations about the death line of magic and manifestation. Those statements were clearly one player's opinion-mine. Reasonable minds can differ on on issues. So I do not get upset with anyone who disagrees with me.

Since I am a human, with human emotions and feelings, it is my hope that those who disagree with me do so in a civil manner.

But as an adult, and an older one at that, I know that there will always be instances where someone, for whatever reason, may not be civil. Then the ball shifts back to my court, and I most hope I have the maturity not to be drawn into "a pissing match"- especially on a forum where i come for relaxation and enjoyment.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Didn't you say you were going to leave?

Re: Speaking of tests
 

I was afraid Argitoth's style of claiming things would annoy people. He really stands out on this forum, for some reason. Part of it is in what he says, which is great (I've also learned a lot from these threads, e.g. about using Manifestation to break castle defences in late game), and part of it is how he says it.

Like chrispedersen, I don't like seeing these "so long" posts on this forum. I didn't say anything about it because I think I mentioned his attitude first about a month ago, and didn't want to sound like a hypocrite. Still, the forum's been more lively for a while.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

About Manifestation, I've found that Swarm works well as a cheap counter. It gives even N1 casters a decent chance to survive. Backed up with decent body guards, and perhaps a few more castings of Swarm if you are N2 or higher, and Manifestation is not that much of a threat.

About Argitoth, I too enjoy his threads. His monkey PD thread and other have created lots of new in-jokes over the last few months. It's good to have something besides the bog beast jokes. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with the bog beast jokes.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Yeah, what is it with the bog beast jokes anyway? I've been away for a year and when I come back everyone thinks bog beasts are hilarious as plush dolls.

-Max

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Uhhhhhh, I had nothing to do with monkey PD!

Don't worry, my leaving has nothing to do with dominions game, the forum, the people on the forum, or anything like that. I just don't have time to be playing such a deep game. It requires hours of planning and even more hours to create all these thread. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Argitoth you should perhaps switch gears and try SP games instead of just dropping Dominions_3 completely. The AI has many weaknesses so for a challenge you'll have to use the mapedit commands to provide the AI a stronger start. You may also want to ban using certain spells against the AI since it lacks the knowledge for dealing with such spells like Wish and Ghost Riders.

Just a thought... if you're shelving the game then I suggest trying one of these games:

AOW:SM
Heroes_3:WOG
Stardocks fantasy TBS game due for release in 2009 (you'll need to wait)

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Yep, you after give Argitoth credit here, the monkey PD was looneybob's or whatever his username was, Argitoth had nothing to do with that.

Mad/loopy/crazy bob came, created controversy, laughter and then went in about 2-3 months. It happens from time to time.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

Hey buddy, you forgot the part where I won the first MP game I ever played. As Patala. But don't worry! LA Ermor isn't reading the boards, so it will be a few turns before things are resolved! Bask in your theoritical superiority.

And before me was FrankTrollman.

And after me is Argitoth.

Oh, and Tujidy, you are just one Special guy.

Re: Speaking of tests
 

I know I have been insulted, but I have no idea how.